I have done my last day as a full time investment banker - there's an interview over at Guitarnosie dot com about it.

As most of you know, I play guitar a bit which explains my hanging around here so much. Tomorrow is induction day at the Essex School Music Service - I put in an application when I was made redundant from UBS earlier this year and my record of never having failed an audition is still intact. I am joining Essex as a peripatetic guitar teacher and will be going in to three schools each week to turn all those parents' little darlings into the next Jimi Hendrix. My first day in School is Thursday of next week. I'm also available for private lessons (I have one student who's just renewed for another set of lessons) and I'm available for weddings, family parties, corporate events and all that sort of stuff.

I'll still be doing some part time investment banking and I've got a few more irons in the fire which (hopefully) will allow me to get out of that industry completely, not least the possibility of taking on a few more schools.

So, wish me luck. I should have done this years ago. And yes, I'll be teaching them to rasgueado, just maybe not in their first lesson.


Alan

awesome!
i always highly admire people who leave behind an old lifestyle to pursue something they're passionate about.
best wishes on your life transition!

Alan inspiring stuff. Best of luck with all those youngsters. Should be bags of fun and who knows you might find the next Jimi although that's one hell of a target but I guess sometimes 6 turns out to be 9

Very rewarding endeavor and challenge. Who knows you may be shaping the next great flamenco guitarist. Being able to live and breath your art is a wonderful thing.

Hola Alan

I notice that you worked in business so I guess you have some of what people call ‘people skills’.
Maybe if we meet one day I can ask you some advice on how to talk to people.
I have tried to talk to music services here a few times and have suggested to them that students at school might like the opportunity to try flamenco.
But well they never get back to me.
Anyway I do hope it is all going well for you and that you are enjoying the teaching.
Saludos

Tomás

I thought I'd update this one as this week is the last week of my first set of School contracts.

I should have done this years ago - I have 47 students across six schools and I can see that they're all making progress; one of them found me warming up one morning and tried to perform a rasgueado - he'll get there. At one of those schools, more kids are learning guitar (with me) than any other instrument.

Talk to the Music Services people about regular guitar Tomas; once you're accepted and cleared to start work then you are in total charge of what your students learn and can bring in a bit of flamenco to the lessons. It can be a bit awkward getting accepted by some counties - I'm working for Essex, but Herts (the next county along from me) insist on not only having graduates as peripatetic instrument teachers, but also wants them to have Qualified Teacher Status; all for 15 minutes per kid per week.


Alan